Christina Childress ruptured two discs in her lower back and gave birth to twin girls before joining CrossFit. Her doctor also suggested she never run again before feeling strong enough to run two half marathons.

And this isn’t a gym either. It couldn’t be further from it. There’s no mirrors or contracts. Everyone who shows up, shows up to work hard and enjoy the intensity these workouts offer. There are more than 6,100 CrossFit affiliations throughout the world, and BTX CrossFit is one of them.

Gonzales added, “There is no age restriction for CrossFit. With the combination of all that and the intensity of the workouts, they all know that they’re not just competing with the person next to them but also within themselves.”

Gonzales is a personal trainer himself, who started Bootcamp a few years back and has since added CrossFit to his repertoire.

And his BTX Fitness Studio is now surging with energetic men and women of all ages – not just burning calories but transforming themselves.

“CrossFit just doesn’t do something physically for you, I feel like it does more for you emotionally and mentally.”

And adding to the fact that the workouts occur in what is basically just a warehouse adds to CrossFit’s gritty charm.

“It’s just that grungy type atmosphere where people are within four walls and you see the camaraderie between all them,” Gonzales said.

“It’s just kind of the mentality CrossFit carries.”

And Gonzales’ little spark of a sidekick, Anna Childs, is there, too.

“A lot of people don’t try it based on the intimidation factor,” Childs adds.

“They see it and think, ‘Oh, I can’t do that.’ But you have to tell them that everything is modified, and you won’t be doing that right now.”

I think it’s something different, and you’re in and out. A lot of people can’t find time to work out, and this is convenient.

“Workouts don’t usually last more than 15, maybe 20 minutes. I think they like the quickness. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get results.”

And whereas in a gym you’re basically just working out without supervision, it’s easy to lose focus and drive. At CrossFit, you have two qualified trainers who are willing to help you out and make sure you’re getting the best results without hurting yourself.

Gonzales mentioned, “I’ve seen it before; you’ll have 1,600 plus members at a gym, and we’re probably only getting 20% of those people actually checking in, and everyone else is just paying dues basically.

“So this gives you the chance to work with a trainer and a certified CrossFit coach, and it just becomes an addiction.”

Childs added, “They’re used to the mirrors and the air conditioning. You’re coming here to sweat. If there’s air conditioning, you’re not going to sweat.”

And the family aspect of the community that drives CrossFit is one of its major selling points.

“There’s just never been a strength and conditioning workout that will get you fitter, stronger faster. And doing it in a group environment with great coaches that know how to take care of you. The results end up speaking for themselves.”

And both Gonzales and Childs aren’t sitting behind a desk in an office tucked away in the corner somewhere.

They’re on the floor with you in the heat making sure you’re doing every exercise properly and getting the best from every workout.

“We’re there monitoring their form and their mechanics, making sure they’re doing everything properly so they don’t hurt themselves,” Gonzales said.

“There are no setbacks for anyone. We control your intensity, we scale the workout depending on the person. It’s a person to person type thing.”

And if you’re still on the edge of figuring if you’d want to make a change in your life, just step in to the fitness studio and watch.

There is a four-week mandatory class that you must take in order to join called the “Onramp.”

Childs added, “And once people go through the ‘Onramp’ they’re going to learn the basics.

“It teaches them how their body works. So once they learn how to control their body then this stuff becomes more fun for them.

“Then they want to learn something new. They want to lift more weight, they want to get stronger.”

I know deep down we were all kids at one point and we all knew how to play and that’s kind of what we’re doing now.

“We’re playing with different types of toys, which is now equipment, and we’re just reliving what we did when we were young.

“And that’s what CrossFit is. It’s functional movement. We all sit and squat, we all bend down to lift things off the ground. CrossFit is just showing that, but we’re doing it with weight.

“When you CrossFit and you go out in to the real world, whether it be a kayak trip or a golf game, you’re going to be ready for it.”

You can get more info on joining the CrossFit Onramp at www.facebook.com/jojogonzales10. Classes begin May 6.

Paul Gonzales is the entertainment writer at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 116, or at thescene@mySouTex.com.